Fast-food protesters cuffed at higher-pay rallies

Protesters sit in front of a McDonald's restaurant on 42nd Street in New York's Times Square as police officers move in to begin making arrests, Thursday, Sept. 4, 2014. The protesters are seeking to get pay increases to $15 per hour. Thursday's demonstration is part of a day of planned protests in 150 cities across the country by workers from fast-food chains.

(Mark Lennihan, Associated Press)

NEW YORK — Police handcuffed several protesters in New York and Detroit on Thursday as they blocked traffic in the latest attempt to escalate their efforts to get McDonald's, Burger King and other fast-food companies to pay their employees at least $15 an hour.

The protests, which are planned by labor organizers for about 150 cities nationwide throughout Thursday, are part of the "Fight for $15" campaign. Since the protests began in late 2012, organizers have switched up their tactics every few months.

Before Thursday's protests, organizers said they planned to engage in nonviolent civil disobedience to draw more attention to the cause. In the past, supporters have showed up at a McDonald's shareholder meeting and held strikes. The idea of civil disobedience arose in July when 1,300 workers held a convention in Chicago.

The movement, which is backed financially by the Service Employees International Union and others, has gained national attention at a time when the wage gap between the poor and the rich has become a hot political issue. Many fast-food workers do not make much more than the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, which adds up to about $15,000 a year for 40 hours a week.

President Barack Obama mentioned the campaign earlier this week at a Labor Day appearance in Milwaukee.

"There's a national movement going on made up of fast food workers organizing to lift wages so they can provide for their families with pride and dignity," Obama said, as he pushed Congress to raise the minimum wage. "If I were busting my butt in the service industry and wanted an honest day's pay for an honest day's work, I'd join a union."

The National Restaurant Association, on the other hand, said in a statement that the protests are an attempt by unions to "boost their dwindling membership." The industry lobbying group said it hopes organizers will be respectful to customers and workers during the protests.

Union organizers said they expected thousands to show up to Thursday's protests around the country. Previously, turnout has been fairly minimal in many places.

By late Thursday morning, protesters in some cities were standing in front of fast-food restaurants, chanting for higher pay and holding signs in both English and Spanish.

In New York, at least three people wearing McDonald's uniforms were hauled away by police officers after standing in the middle of a busy street near Times Square. About two dozen protesters were handcuffed in Detroit after they wouldn't move out of a street near a McDonald's restaurant. In Chicago, a couple of buses unloaded a group in front of a McDonald's restaurant, chanting "Stand up. Fight Back," while 100 people crowded on the sidewalk.

Prospero Sanchez, who was at the McDonald's in New York, said the $11.50 per hour he earns making pizzas at a Domino's Pizza restaurant is not enough to support him, his wife and two kids. He started working at the same restaurant 14 years ago, when he made $5 an hour.

He has asked his bosses for more money. "They said no," Sanchez, 32, said.

Mike Householder in Detroit and Candice Choi in New York contributed to this report.

Comments (20)

1. lket

Bluffdale, UT,

Sept. 4, 2014

big companies do what they want money buys the elected, and controls our country
since the supreme court allowed superpacs.

2. trueblue87

Provo, UT,

Sept. 4, 2014

What they don't realize is that having such a huge jump in wages can throw
them into a higher tax bracket, which can mean less take home pay. If you want
more money, improve your skill set. Then go get the jobs that pay better. Fast
food was not meant to be a 9-5 job.

3. ArizonaMormon

Mesa, AZ,

Sept. 4, 2014

People who want to get paid more should seek the skills that will allow that to
happen. For some people, that will mean college. For others, technical school.
Most people who work in the fast-food industry could easily get a call center
job for $12-$15 dollars an hour with benefits, even without additional
education. They might have to relocate to areas with a lot of call centers.
Phoenix, Las Vegas, or Florida for example. But success and personal advancement
require sacrifice.

4. Lilalips

Attleboro, MA,

Sept. 4, 2014

Fast food jobs were never meant to support entire families. They have
traditionally been the first job of kids in high school or a part time job for
stay at home moms or simply, a part time job. If people want more money then
they need to educate themselves or look for a job that pays more and find out
what needs to be done to get hired. If burgers cost 8-10 dollars each then who
will be able to buy one anyway? They are pricing themselves out of a job. Or,
technology will provide robots to do the work for much cheaper.

5. Brio

Alpine, UT,

Sept. 4, 2014

Every single one of these protesters took their jobs knowing exactly what it
paid. They were grateful for it at that time, otherwise they would've have
accepted their employment. This is now a poor way of thanking their employers
who gave them their jobs.

Most of these jobs are part time, and
meant only to supplement their income, not be the primary source. These jobs
have helped countless students get through school and given high school students
the starting experience necessary to move on to higher paying jobs.

Higher paying jobs are definitely out there for those willing to get more
education or additional training. The trouble is, most aren't willing to
put forth the necessary effort. It's less effort just to strike. As such,
it's hard to feel sorry for them.

What else they don't
consider is that by increasing their wages 50% to 100% will cause food item
prices to increase significantly... not by just a few cents as some are saying.
Significant price increases will translate to few customers. Fewer customers
causes layoffs. If these people are "successful" with their strike, many
of them will end up unemployed.